Blank music-paper



(No Model.)

N. DREW.

BLANK MUSIC PAPER.

No. 301.577. PatentedJilly a, 1884.

& Km txk Emacs w 15 2/! 4 7 4 V UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

N OAIIDREIV, OF FOVVLERVILLE, MICHIGAN.

BLANK MUSIC-PAPER.

$3PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,577, dated July 8,1884.

Application filed January 15, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that I, NOAH DREW, of Fowlerville, in the county ofLivingston and State of Michigan, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Blank Music-Paper; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing,which forms a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in blank.musiepaper; and the invention consists in the peculiar arrangement ofthe staff,in combination with certain figures for designating the tonicor keynote, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram showing the arrangement of myimproved staff with an additional staff added and shown in dotted lines.

In my arrangement the first or lower line of the staff is designated bythe letter O, the sec: ond D, the third E, and the seventh line C, orthe octave of the first line in the maj orseale. The third, fourth,fifth, and sixth spaces are designated by the letters F, G, A, andB,while the remaining lines and spaces are left without anydistinguishing mark, excepting as hereinafter stated.

In the arrangement above described the interval occurring fromline toline, as from O to D, is two half-tones, or one full tone, while from Oto the first space is but one halftone, or a twelfth of the staff.

Arranged in a column, beginning with the first line, or O, are thenumerals from I to 12,

inclusive, and consecutively upon lines and spaces to the seventhline,whicl1 is numbered 1 as the octave of the first line. Anothercolumn is provided at the right of that occupied by the figures lastnamed, in which may be placed any suitable signsuch as an asterisk-todesignate, in connection with one of the last-mentioned figures,thetonic or key-note of the music arranged upon the staff. For example, apiece of music written in the key of C, as commonly denominated, wouldin my system be designated by the asterisk upon the first line,indicating that the music was written in the key of the first, or one.If written in the key of G, (indicated in the present system by onesharp,) in my system the asterisk would be placed in the relative spacewith the letter G and figure 8, in-

dicating that the music was written in the key of the 8, while if itwere written in the key of F sharp,instead of being indicated by sixsharps, as in the present system, the asterisk would be placed upon thefourth line, indicating that the tonic or key-note was the seventh ofthe thirteen tones. Should the arrangement of the staff be insufficientin scope to meet the requirements of the composer, a double staff may beinstituted; leger lines above or below, or both, may be added, as in theusual manner.

By the employment of a stafi' and denominating-mark herein described, Idispense with the use of the so-ealled G and F clefs, as the bass iswritten upon exactly the samearrangement of the staff as abovedescribed, the notes deriving their character and tone from the positionwhich they occupy upon the staff. By the introduction of this staff andsystem in the teaching and writing of music it will render it muchplainer to a child, and will materially lighten the task of becomingfully acquainted with thorough-bass and the rudiments of harmony.

While I have described the arrangement of my staff as founded upon thescale of G, I do not desire to confine myself thereto, as it is evidentthat the staff may be arranged upon any other scale without departingfrom the V spirit of my invention.

If desired, suitable characters may be used in connection with the toniccharacters which shall designate the lines and spaces to be used inconnection with such tonic to produce a perfeet scale.

In writing music I prefer to use a double staff composed of thirteenlines and twelve spaces, said lines and spaces forming together equalsteps or-divisions, and twelve such steps of a semitone eachconstituting one staff and octave. By the use of said twelve parts orsteps I represent all the spaces, lines, and degrees used in writingmusic without the employment of fiats or sharps.

I am aware that it is not new to manufacture music-paper having staffsof seven lines each, and also to eonstructkey-boards having a scale ofletters or figures, or both, in connection with a slider to indicate thetonica, and lay no claim to such as forming a part of my invention, forin the firstinstance thelines are drawn in groups to represent thegroups of keys as arranged on piano-forte or such like key-boards, andthey have not the distinctive features at the end of said staffs which Iclaim as my improvement.

The scale as applied and used in connection with the above-describedkey-board could not, without material changes,be applied to a sevenlinestafi".

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- Blank music-paper having a series ofseven stall-lines provided with two columns or divisions at one endthereof, containing, respectively, the letters from U to U, and numeralsfrom 1 to 12, and a blank column adjacent to that provided with thenumerals, adapted to 15 receive a character or symbol to indicate thebass or key note, substantially as set forth.

XOMI. DREW.

XVitnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, ll. SCULLY.

